CA
California State University-San Marcos
1.85 incidents / 1,000 students
San Marcos, CA · Clery Act 2024 · Public
California State University-San Marcos
Across 2022–2024, California State University-San Marcos reported 67 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, with no net change between the first and last filed year; largest filed category is Rape.
- 1.85
- Incidents / 1k students
- #981
- Rank of 2,072
- #223
- CA rank
- 16,237
- Enrolled students
1.85 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
California State University-San Marcos reports 1.85 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 52% above Pima Community College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Pima Community College (0.31/1k); Western Kentucky University (4.24/1k); Post University (0.37/1k); Macomb Community College (0.55/1k); University of North Florida (0.62/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Cypress College (1.57/1k); California State University-Chico (2.16/1k); California State University-Dominguez Hills (4.22/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); Antelope Valley Community College District (0.59/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 1.85
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #981
- safer than ranked campuses its size
- 53%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 19
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 366711 · California State University-San Marcos 1.85/1k score rate · #981/2,072
RATE-LOW · RANK-MID · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-FLAT · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-LOW 1.85/1k
- RANK-MID #981/2,072
- ST-MID #223 in state
- ABOVE-PEER University of North Florida · +1.23
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-FLAT Flat
- CAT-LEAD Rape
- ENR-MID 16,237
- FIRE-REPORT 1 fire
Nearest enrollment peer: University of North Florida (-1.23/1k)
California State University-San Marcos sheet RATE-LOW · RANK-MID · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-FLAT · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT · peer University of North Florida. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-LOW · RANK-MID · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-FLAT · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is University of North Florida (-1.23/1k). National rank #981 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
California State University-San Marcos reports 1.85 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 52% above Pima Community College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Pima Community College (0.31/1k); Western Kentucky University (4.24/1k); Post University (0.37/1k); Macomb Community College (0.55/1k); University of North Florida (0.62/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Cypress College (1.57/1k); California State University-Chico (2.16/1k); California State University-Dominguez Hills (4.22/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); Antelope Valley Community College District (0.59/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around California State University-San
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest California on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Pima Community College · lowest peer 0.31
Pima Community College — lowest peer
0.31 per 1,000 students
- Post University · near 0.37
Post University — near
0.37 per 1,000 students
- Macomb Community College · near 0.55
Macomb Community College — near
0.55 per 1,000 students
- University of North Florida · near 0.62
University of North Florida — near
0.62 per 1,000 students
- California State University-San Marcos · this campus
California State University-San Marcos — this campus
1.85 per 1,000 students
- Western Kentucky University · highest peer
Western Kentucky University — highest peer
4.24 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around California State University-San Marcos's 1.85/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
California State University-San Marcos decreased from 29 to 19 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 CA 4-year peers in this comparison, California State University-San Marcos is larger than 67% and safer-reporting than 58% - the larger, safer-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- California State Universit…: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Pacific | 6,944 | 2.16 | 0 | 50 |
| Westcliff University | 7,686 | 0.00 | 3 | 94 |
| California State University-Monterey Bay | 7,713 | 6.74 | 6 | 11 |
| University of San Francisco | 8,913 | 3.48 | 8 | 28 |
| Pepperdine University | 8,976 | 2.23 | 11 | 44 |
| Shasta College | 9,073 | 1.10 | 14 | 64 |
| University of California-Merced | 9,110 | 6.92 | 17 | 8 |
| West Los Angeles College | 9,255 | 0.22 | 19 | 83 |
| Solano Community College | 9,282 | 0.22 | 22 | 86 |
| Skyline College | 9,572 | 0.21 | 25 | 89 |
| University of San Diego | 9,714 | 5.66 | 28 | 17 |
| California State University-San Marcos (this campus) | 16,237 | 1.85 | 67 | 58 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 16,237 enrolled students, California State University-San Marcos is the 278th largest of the 5,585 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment, ahead of 5,307 of them. Closest same-state same-level scored peers by enrollment: Cypress College (1.57/1k); California State University-Chico (2.16/1k); California State University-Dominguez Hills (4.22/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); Antelope Valley Community College District (0.59/1k). The score above normalizes 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe (Pima Community College is the nearest similar-enrollment comparison on this profile).
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at California State University-San Marcos fell from 29 to 19 (-34%). The decrease shows up in Fondling (6 to 3), Motor Vehicle Theft (5 to 2) and Rape (11 to 8).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at California State University-San Marcos
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 7 Clery Act categories here: Rape, Fondling, Burglary, Motor Vehicle Theft, Aggravated Assault, Arson and Robbery.
The remaining 4 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Statutory Rape. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyCalifornia State University-San Marcos: Criminal Offenses by year
Stable 0% (19 → 19 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2023 | 29 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape | 8 | 11 | 5 |
| Fondling | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Burglary | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Aggravated Assault | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Arson | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
27 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 7 | 15 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 3 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 3 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 15 | 21 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 6 | 5 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
California State University-San Marcos vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
AZ
Pima Community College
0.31 incidents / 1,000 students
KY
Western Kentucky University
4.24 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where California State University-San Marcos sits on price and outcomes
At $10,229, California State University-San Marcos's reported average net price is cheaper than 22% among 492 California colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $20,161.
- $10,229
- average net price
- $20,161
- California median
- 2.8×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $12,504
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $6,230, while those above $110,000 record $18,734 - roughly 3.0 times as much. A published average of $10,229 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Six years after enrolling, the median former student who received federal aid reports $48,673 - about 4.8 times one year of the reported net price here. On that ratio the cost is recovered quickly.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $8,082
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $20,682
- Avg Net Price
- $10,229
- Median Debt
- $17,350
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 43%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 95%
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 54%
- Retention Rate
- 79%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $48,673
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $62,908
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 76%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 581 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Pima Community College
Tucson, AZ · 16,283 enrolled
Safety Score 0.31
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY · 16,291 enrolled
Safety Score 4.24
Post University
Waterbury, CT · 16,178 enrolled
Safety Score 0.37
Macomb Community College
Warren, MI · 16,300 enrolled
Safety Score 0.55
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL · 16,154 enrolled
Safety Score 0.62
Closest by National Rank
California State University-San Marcos (national rank #981) sits near Carrington College-Phoenix North (#982) and Salem University (#980) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for California State University-San Marcos, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY · 16,291 enrolled
Safety score 4.24
Post University
Waterbury, CT · 16,178 enrolled
Safety score 0.37
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL · 16,154 enrolled
Safety score 0.62
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · 16,150 enrolled
Safety score 2.11
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO · 16,357 enrolled
Safety score 3.73
CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY · 15,965 enrolled
Safety score 1.00
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · 15,888 enrolled
Safety score 1.45
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, MA · 16,598 enrolled
Safety score 2.77
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
Salem University
Salem, WV · 1,083 enrolled
Safety score 1.85
Manhattan School of Music
New York, NY · 1,084 enrolled
Safety score 1.84
Chemeketa Community College
Salem, OR · 8,098 enrolled
Safety score 1.85
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL · 20,910 enrolled
Safety score 1.87
Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA · 5,892 enrolled
Safety score 1.87
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL · 8,564 enrolled
Safety score 1.87
Florida Southern College
Lakeland, FL · 3,211 enrolled
Safety score 1.87
Southwest Baptist University
Bolivar, MO · 2,199 enrolled
Safety score 1.82
Frequently Asked Questions
Is California State University-San Marcos safe?
California State University-San Marcos has a safety score of 1.85 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #981 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Pima Community College (0.31/1k). Same-state same-level set: Cypress College (1.57/1k); California State University-Chico (2.16/1k); California State University-Dominguez Hills (4.22/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); Antelope Valley Community College District (0.59/1k).
What crimes are reported at California State University-San Marcos?
For calendar year 2024, California State University-San Marcos reported Rape (8), Aggravated Assault (3), Burglary (3), Fondling (3) and Motor Vehicle Theft (2) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does California State University-San Marcos compare to similar schools?
California State University-San Marcos reports 52% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Pima Community College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Pima Community College (0.31/1k); Western Kentucky University (4.24/1k); Post University (0.37/1k); Macomb Community College (0.55/1k); University of North Florida (0.62/1k). Same-state same-level set: Cypress College (1.57/1k); California State University-Chico (2.16/1k); California State University-Dominguez Hills (4.22/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); Antelope Valley Community College District (0.59/1k).
Does California State University-San Marcos have fire safety data?
Yes. California State University-San Marcos reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 1 fire was reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.